Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - J K Rowling (Book)

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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - J K Rowling

After reading and loving the Harry Potter series back to back (last month), I was looking to read some more on Harry and his world and came across this amazing book (loved the idea and concept) which I believe is already made into a movie (inspired) to be released next week. I totally loved the idea and concept of this book - the way it is thought and conceptualized that its going to any Harry Potter reader and lover alike. If you have read the books you would know that this book has a lot of mention out there as a "Text Book", now imagine reading the same book written by the same writer as mentioned in the story (Newt Scamander) with a Foreword by none other then "Albus Dumbledore" - Bingo!! Who would miss it? Also, it is written and printed as if this was actually the book that Harry used at Hogwarts, with his personal notes, jokes and what not written all over it, around the margins in his own writing (remember how we use to scribble on our own books). Even Ron and Hermione too has a say in it as they too have written some notes in their own handwriting in the book - totally hilarious things. And on top of that - a major chunk of the revenues generated by this book go to a charity followed by J K Rowling for various good causes. WOW! What a brilliant idea and what a superb execution.

Although it cant be called a book but can be considered a sidey joke book on Magical Creatures from the Harry Potter's world. I wonder how they could make a movie on it? As there is no story but just explanations (detailed and hilarious) that too funnily in alphabetical order. Hats off to her imagination that she actually end up making a glossary of all the magical creatures used in the book series. I wonder how much creative one can get and JK Rowling is one of those few examples of being Super Solid Creative writer with wildest imagination - I will say. And I mostly end up liking those books including this one - when they successfully put a smile on my face, this indeed does by the time it ends.

Deception Point - Dan Brown (Book)

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Deception Point - Dan Brown

OK! So I am in love with Dan Brown after reading his latest (which didn't impress his fans) and first (which wasn't great as per me) still both worked for me as they are way better then his counterparts are churning out. And I must say what a perfect timing to read this one as it talks about "How the Presidents are made in USA" by hook or crook, money or deception etc and shockingly as Donald Trump became the President against all speculations as I finish the book. The whole book (A majority of it) is a thrilling drama which unfolds in the course of a little more then 24 hrs only - a typical Dan Brown stuff if  you ask me. Acting President is about to lose the upcoming elections by a huge margin to his predecessor who is against the US funding of NASA which goes down the drain as per him. Right when he is about to prove the point and register a landslide victory in coming elections - NASA discovers life forms from the extraterrestrial world - what perfect timing to save the President and get him re-elected on a NASA ticket. But the question remains - can that be a true discovery? or is it a cover up only for someone's personal motto. With a handful of Private Scientists and explorers on lose behind the secret and all kinds of agencies supporting one or the other - its a cat and mouse chase game.

What I love about his writing is that he writes in small chapters with at-least two to three parallel tracks which keeps the reader hanging. Pace is as always terrific heading towards a superb climax with so much going on all around. The book has everything, from racy pace to the Protagonist traveling in a F14 to Ellsmere Island (Extreme Northern point of Canada), journey inside the white house (as usual), proof of extraterrestrial life, even a Sex scandal of a Senator - the President to be, Delta Force removing unnecessary evidences against the acting President (not much but I loved the Delta Force part). Both the leading ladies of the story are too good - guess my loyalty kept shifting towards both of them (of course one after another). Rachel as Senator's daughter who works for the current President, about to uncover something which will never get him re-elected. Whereas Gabrielle as Senator's Campaign Manager is about to uncover something which may make him the next President. All in the course of one night -  with so many people dieing who shouldn't have in the first place the story keeps getting darker till you reach the very end. The race between the truths the two ladies are about to discover keeps getting better with each passing chapter and incident which makes it one heck of a read - I will say.

A good one time read and that makes me move to his other best works like "Angels and Demons" :) 

Conversations With God (Book 3) - Neale Donald Walsch (Book)

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Conversations With God (Book 3) - Neale Donald Walsch

So, the Trilogy finally comes to an end, if you have read my earlier two reviews on Book 1 and Book 2 respectively, a couple of months back, this is the last of the series summing everything up in one final swipe. And what an amazing journey it had been - a totally new perspective to life, god, humans and what we think of it all. A lot of it is of-course debatable but no doubt - it isn't at all bad or hurt in anyways to know someone else's perspective or vision of god. I totally liked all the three books put together and they will always be a permanent part of my collection. As they are written - they should be read again and again to make more sense - if one believes or have any interest in Theosophy. As my parents follow it a big time - I too got hooked to a couple of writers referred by them and will definitely do a little bit more study on the subject with other writers.

Book 3 - talks about a lot of stuff left over in the first two books with one of the most important question right at the very start - as what happens to us when we die? Where do we go? what happens to our soul? is there a hell or a heaven that we go to? so on so forth. And a very interesting view point presented by the Author as he claims God was giving answers through his pen to all his queries, its quite convincing as I said - yet debatable big time. Mind-blowing is the way they (God and Author) talk about other worlds and universe's, life outside our solar system, where they have reached Technologically and Spiritually, how they are different, what is that they have learned and we haven't, Why are we sending our planet towards an end and hell lot of other worldly issues. Like I said - its all very debatable yet its written in quite a convincing way - it actually feels like the reader is writing the book as if these were really the questions I myself will ask God if given an opportunity. A lot of it indeed put a smile on my face with its accuracy and the responses are at times hilarious but mostly they become food for a serious thought. I would say a gist of all three books should be added to the course material as a part of our education in school, it will do wonder to the coming generation. As many books I read or the movies I watch - I am simply stunned to notice - they all send us in one direction but the problem is that we just don't notice and still fail to work towards them. As of yet it comes true - it may all change in future - if you know what I mean.

This trilogy is highly recommended like I said earlier and a must read for all.

A Walk To Remember - Nicholas Sparks (Book)

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A Walk To Remember - Nicholas Sparks

My weakness or you can say my strength for that matter lies in my habit of reading from the very first page to the very last. I usually read the Foreword, Introduction, Comments and Back cover comments AFTER I finish the book, that ways it keeps me glued to the book as I do not know what to expect. Also at times (and a lot of it) I go all the way to get all the books from the same writer and read them in the order he / she wrote it, I really like it that way as it helps not only in knowing what and how he / she has progressed from one book to another and if there is a pattern in their writing. Nicholas Spark's books fall in the same category as a very dear friend sent me a couple of his books from somewhere midways his career and I totally loved them (The Choice, The Notebook and Message in a bottle) and I was totally hooked to his writing. Hence decided to start from the very start and picked up his first book this time.

A very straight forward love story of two totally opposite teenagers told in a most simplest way, although its totally predictable right from the very start. I could actually assume the whole story how its going to go forward and even the unusual breakup or say ending still it works big time. Landon Carter is a rich kid, son of a Congressman, with his own set of rowdy friends and their adventurers in the neighborhood of Beaufort, North Carolina. Jamie Sullivan is a very religious straight forward no fuss girl, daughter of a Minister (Priest), mother died in child birth, she is almost a nobody in school, although the whole town loves her as she is the one who always moves with a bible in hand. You see they have no connection in common except the school they go to (being classmates). How their paths cross, how they fall in love and everything that happens during this particular year is the rest of the story told in a flashback by Landon as he turns 57 years old. How that one year changed his life forever makes up for a superb story which he promises at the very start that its going to give us smiles as well as tears and it indeed does leaves a smile on my face with a lump in my throat. Only grudge I had with this one was - it was too predictable but nevertheless a good one time read.

A book which can be read in one sitting if you have couple of hours to spend.

Asimov On Numbers - Isaac Asimov (Book)

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Asimov On Numbers - Isaac Asimov

Some of my very close and naughty friends keep throwing me these challenging books to read. The last I remembered that I struggled big time with were the Ayn Rand books (Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged) and I loved them totally, Although John Galt's speech was something that I will never forget in my life (its quite challenging to read full) but I loved it so much that a line from the book became my permanent bumper sticker. So, a very dear friend like that sent me a couple of books of the same kind - specially the one that I am talking about right now is based on Numbers - Roman, Greek, Babylonian Mathematical numbers, written of-course by Isaac Asimov. He was a Russian American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. He was known for his works of science fiction and popular science. Asimov was a prolific writer, and wrote or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards, Just imagine. Reading this book took me 25 years back in time to my mathematics classroom but it is written in such a way that I really wondered why our teachers couldn't use the same technique of explaining the numbers the way he does as it made so much sense to me (a layman with no specific mathematical background), it is even interesting to read as an independent book if you have any interest in History of anything, specially the numbers and how the evolved in due course of time. 

This is basically a collection of essays that he has written between 1959 to 1966, he himself keeps them editing them with correct footnotes. Asimov hasn't only made it all look so simple to a layman in easy terms but even pointed out the mistakes done by primitive people in calculating and the price for the same that we pay today. Plus on top of that in between his theory and explanations he has written the briefs on different personalities of olden era as well the evolution of computer and other devices in between the chapters to make it more visual friendly with pictures and details. His comments on them are hilarious and so real time. He calls mathematics a "She" and when he is not able to solve a problem he calls her as if she is not interested in him :). Some of his findings are simple yet mind-blowing, I was shocked with my zero knowledge of the subject yet it was so simple to understand (his way). Mind-blowing is the way he decodes some hugest huge mathematical calculations and claims that he doesn't wants to go insane by going further deeper in them as if he can, also the way he credits and dedicates a page on each of the great Mathematician that he mentions in his articles, that way enhancing the readers knowledge of some of the greatest from the field from the past. Superb Unbelievably Awesome. 

The book had so many instances when I had to actually read the sentence twice or at times more then that to get it but what made it more interesting was that after sometime it started making a lot of sense, specially with real time examples like calculating the length of surface of earth in two different ways - the findings had a difference of 11 feet :) how? it was hilarious but negligible in mathematical world. Some fractions with endless results were so much fun that I am actually going to use with my daughter now ie. 1/7 - if you solve it - you will get a damn good result - try it :) and so many instances like that. I could never imagine Mathematics could be so interesting or can be told in such a nice understanding way - I wish our Mathematics teachers take a clue from books like these and make it this way - there will be no students going to Commerce or Arts classes in that case. It covers everything and anything on Planet earth with which he could make a numbered reference like the quantity of water on the planet, fresh water or salt, area of entire planet, population, density and what not. All in all it was a perfect read with so much thrown in mere 300 pages that I am inclined to read couple of more works. I guess he did write some books on Literary figures and on their writings too, guess that is going to make some real interesting readings. 

This Book is highly recommended to all those with Engineering and Mathematical degrees who may or may not be using the good use of their degrees as of now ;) - read this - you will love it.